Scarlett Johansson Sparkles on Red Carpet & Talks Independence

Last night, the stars sparkled brightly! At the NYC premiere for We Bought a Zoo at the legendary Ziegeld Theater, Scarlett Johansson gave the scoop on independence and what she learned most about herself this past year.

Decked out in a black Dolce and Gabbana dress with Fred Leighton jewels and Jimmy Choo shoes, Scarlett told OK! she identified with the independent character she played in the movie.

"I think I can appreciate Kelly's conviction. I think she's always able to tackle the task at hand, no matter how large or overwhelming and I think that's something that I can appreciate."

As the year winds down, one that officially finalized her divorce with Ryan Reynolds and included a hackerazzi scandal, she told reporters she "just learned a lot about patience and tolerance" during 2011.

Aside from learning about herself, co-star Elle Fanning learned a lot from Scarlett, too! Recently, Elle indicated they're friends and told reporters, "Just hearing the name doesn't seem real because she's just this star, you know, and then I met her and she's just Scarlett. We email each other all the time and we talk. I think it's cool how she was a child actress and is progressing into an amazing actress, so that's cool."

As for any advice she gives Elle? The 13-year-old pointed out, "We just talk about normal things, it's never really advice. But seeing how she was on set, nice to everyone, that's the advice."